The dialogue around vegetarianism has always been positive in terms of managing animal welfare and even economically. But in recent years, eliminating meat from your diet has been proven to have positive effects against climate change. 

There are so many reasons to cut meat out of your eating routine from your health, ethics and to support the planet. But, even if you have just one meat-free day, then you’ll make a difference. 

Meat-Free Monday began to encourage people to give up meat one day a week. According to the organisers, almost one-third of the planet is used for livestock production to feed humanity and an area of rainforest the size of one hundred football pitches is cut down every hour to create room for cattle grazing. 

So, in honour of Vegetarian Week, at Curlicue HQ, we are sharing some of our favourite vegetarian recipes for you to try. What better time than now to try and make a simple change that could help the world we live in.

Vegan Chickpea Curry and Jacket Potatoes 

Curries are a fantastic way to create vegetarian dishes that fill you up and are full of vegetables. Many curry dishes use lentils and chickpeas, so they’re also an excellent way to ensure you get protein (no, you don’t need to eat meat to get protein!). 

We love this Chickpea Curry and Jacket Potato recipe because not only is it packed full of protein, but if you’re in a hurry, the chickpea curry works well on its own with delicious naan bread. The curry also tastes delicious heated up the next day, making a perfect batch cooking dish.

 

Pea, Pomegranate and Mint Risotto 

Risottos take quite a bit of effort but, the results are always worth the constant stirring. This slightly boujis but delicious recipe from the team at Meat Free Monday makes a delightful risotto that we come back to time and time again. Perfect for a fresh spring meal that’ll impress your friends and create a gorgeous, colourful dish full of delicious ingredients. Find the full recipe here. 

Meat-Less Meatballs and Spaghetti 

There are so many excellent meat replacement ingredients from brands like Quorn and Linda McCartney, so if you’re struggling without meat, why not try our spaghetti bolognese recipe using the Heck Vegan Mince.

For the Meat Balls 

1 Pack of Heck Vegan Mince

1 Egg

½ cup of breadcrumbs

One onion, finely diced

1 tsp of Italian Herbs

A pinch of salt

2 tbsp of olive oil 

For the Tomato Sauce

1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes

Olive oil 

One garlic clove, diced

A handful of basil, chopped 

Salt 

1 tsp of brown sugar

1 tbsp of tomato puree
A handful of spaghetti per person.

1. Set the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 6. Mix all of the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. Use your hands to blend the ingredients and soften the veggie mince.

2. Roll the meatball mixture into balls by rolling it in the palms of your hands, and place them on a baking tray for 25 minutes.

3. Put your spaghetti in a pan with boiling water and cook until soft and ready.

4. Make your tomato sauce with five minutes to go on the meatballs. Pour your olive oil in a saucepan and fry off the garlic until soft.

5. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until your meatballs and spaghetti is ready. 

6. Serve and enjoy.

Mexican Quinoa Bowl 

We are huge fans of this Mexican Quinoa Bowl from the team at Deliciously Ella. You can adapt this dish entirely to your taste - if cashew cream isn’t your thing, this dish is still amazing without it and creates a fantastic dinner for you and your family. If we’re in a rush, we supplement the quinoa with lemon and herb couscous. It also makes a really delicious lunchtime meal that you can easily make the night before and take to your office. 

No meat required!

 

Just Give It a Try!

Whether you want to try going vegetarian for the long-haul or you want to reduce down your meat intake a little, it will all make a huge difference. 

It’s difficult with the world we live in as all of our food has an impact. Even the food we grow ourselves casts a footprint, but meat products, beef especially, have a catastrophic influence on our environment. It’s also impossible to live a carbon-neutral life without intense privilege, especially in the UK, but there are small and simple swaps that we can all make to force change. 

If you’re feeling empowered by the goodness of veggies and want to go one further, check out our blog on Going Vegan for Climate Change.

Simple Swaps

At Curlicue, we’ve built our business by believing in the power of simple swaps. If you want to try a simple swap this year, try our eco-friendly wrapping paper. Made using recycled FSC approved materials and created using vegetable ink for a vegan product, all of our wrapping paper is fully recyclable once its been enjoyed!

Shop our beautiful, eco-friendly prints here.